| Introduction |
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1 | (1) |
| About This Book |
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1 | (1) |
| Foolish Assumptions |
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2 | (1) |
| Beyond the Book |
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2 | (1) |
| Icons Used in the Book |
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2 | (1) |
| Where to Go from Here |
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3 | (2) |
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PART 1 GETTING STARTED WITH GOATS |
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5 | (68) |
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Chapter 1 Discovering The Joys Of Raising Goats |
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7 | (12) |
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8 | (1) |
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Identifying the Benefits of Owning Goats |
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9 | (6) |
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Becoming more self-sufficient |
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9 | (4) |
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Using goats for companions or helpers |
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13 | (1) |
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Raising goats as a 4-H project |
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14 | (1) |
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Determining Whether Goats Are for You |
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15 | (4) |
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15 | (1) |
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Deciding which goats are right for your situation |
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16 | (1) |
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Finding out about local ordinances |
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17 | (1) |
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18 | (1) |
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Chapter 2 Glimpsing Vital Goat Statistics |
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19 | (14) |
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Doe, a Goat, a Female Goat |
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19 | (1) |
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Taking a Look at Goat Anatomy |
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20 | (7) |
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20 | (2) |
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22 | (1) |
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23 | (1) |
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24 | (1) |
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25 | (1) |
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25 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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27 | (4) |
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27 | (1) |
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Identifying the meaning of goat cries |
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27 | (1) |
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Determining normal temperature |
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28 | (2) |
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Using ruminations as a health indicator |
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30 | (1) |
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30 | (1) |
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31 | (1) |
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Recognizing life expectancy |
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31 | (1) |
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Using a Goat Scorecard to Evaluate a Goat |
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31 | (2) |
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Chapter 3 Knowing Your Capra Aegagrus Hircus (Goat, That Is) |
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33 | (18) |
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34 | (8) |
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Standard dairy goat breeds |
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34 | (4) |
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38 | (4) |
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42 | (5) |
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43 | (1) |
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44 | (1) |
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45 | (1) |
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45 | (1) |
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46 | (1) |
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46 | (1) |
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47 | (1) |
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Investigating Fiber Goats |
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47 | (4) |
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47 | (1) |
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48 | (1) |
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49 | (2) |
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Chapter 4 Getting Your Property Ready For A Goat |
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51 | (22) |
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Figuring Out How Many Goats You Can Support |
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51 | (1) |
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Making Sure Fencing Is Adequate |
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52 | (3) |
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Running through types of fencing |
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53 | (1) |
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54 | (1) |
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55 | (2) |
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Considering which trees to protect |
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55 | (1) |
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55 | (2) |
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57 | (8) |
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Putting hazards out of reach |
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57 | (1) |
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58 | (1) |
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Providing a safe place to bunk down |
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59 | (1) |
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Considering local predators |
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59 | (2) |
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Using guardian animals for security |
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61 | (2) |
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Removing poisonous plants |
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63 | (2) |
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65 | (8) |
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Cutting the lumber into parts and marking the pieces |
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67 | (1) |
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Attaching the legs to the base |
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68 | (1) |
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Attaching the side pieces to the base |
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68 | (1) |
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68 | (1) |
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68 | (1) |
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69 | (1) |
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69 | (1) |
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Adding the neck pieces to the stanchion |
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70 | (1) |
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Adding the feeder attachment |
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70 | (1) |
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Attaching the stanchion to the base |
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71 | (1) |
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71 | (2) |
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PART 2 BRINGING YOUR GOATS HOME |
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73 | (100) |
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Chapter 5 Home Sweet Homestead: Sheltering Your Goats |
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75 | (16) |
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75 | (3) |
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Using an existing building |
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77 | (1) |
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77 | (1) |
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Providing a Safe, Cozy Place for Goats to Bunk |
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78 | (6) |
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Building a sleeping shelf in an existing barn |
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79 | (3) |
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Using and maintaining bedding |
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82 | (2) |
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Creating an Outdoor Shelter |
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84 | (2) |
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Protecting your goats from the elements |
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84 | (1) |
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85 | (1) |
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Keeping Your Goats and Their Living Space Clean |
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86 | (5) |
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Controlling flies and other bugs |
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86 | (2) |
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Feed storage and ratproofing |
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88 | (3) |
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Chapter 6 Dinner Time: What And How To Feed Your Goats |
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91 | (20) |
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Goats Don't Eat Tin Cans: What and How to Feed |
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92 | (7) |
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Understanding the two types of feed |
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92 | (1) |
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93 | (1) |
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Using Chaffhaye instead of hay and alfalfa |
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93 | (1) |
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94 | (1) |
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Following a feeding schedule |
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95 | (1) |
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Choosing organic --- or not |
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96 | (1) |
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96 | (1) |
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97 | (2) |
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Using Body-Condition Scoring to Fine-Tune Feeding |
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99 | (1) |
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Feeding for Special Cases |
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100 | (2) |
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101 | (1) |
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101 | (1) |
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101 | (1) |
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Getting the Basic Supplies |
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102 | (4) |
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102 | (1) |
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102 | (1) |
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103 | (1) |
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104 | (1) |
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105 | (1) |
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106 | (1) |
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Building a Simple Hay Feeder |
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106 | (2) |
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Building a Mineral Block Holder |
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108 | (2) |
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Providing Supplemental Feeding Options |
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110 | (3) |
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110 | (2) |
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Feeding with garden plant waste |
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112 | (1) |
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112 | (1) |
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113 | (1) |
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113 | (1) |
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Determining what to plant |
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113 | (1) |
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Keeping it surviving and thriving |
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114 | (1) |
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Supplementing with Fodder |
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114 | (3) |
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Chapter 7 Getting Your Goats: Choosing, Buying, And Bringing Goats Home |
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117 | (1) |
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Choosing the Right Goats for Your Needs |
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118 | (1) |
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118 | (1) |
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118 | (1) |
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119 | (1) |
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119 | (1) |
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Registered or unregistered |
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119 | (1) |
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Looks count: The basics of conformation |
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120 | (1) |
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Finding Sources for Goats |
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121 | (3) |
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Visiting local feed stores |
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122 | (1) |
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Reading the agriculture paper or thrifties |
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122 | (1) |
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122 | (1) |
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Surfing breeders' websites |
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122 | (1) |
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Joining registries and goat clubs |
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123 | (1) |
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Going where goat people congregate |
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123 | (1) |
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Making Sure You Get a Healthy Goat |
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124 | (2) |
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124 | (1) |
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125 | (1) |
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126 | (1) |
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Protecting Yourself with a Contract |
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126 | (2) |
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128 | (3) |
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128 | (1) |
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129 | (1) |
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Watching for signs of stress |
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129 | (2) |
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Chapter 8 Working With Your Goats |
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131 | (20) |
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Identifying Normal Goat Behavior |
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131 | (4) |
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Establishing a "pecking" order |
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132 | (1) |
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Biting, butting, and mounting |
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133 | (2) |
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Conducting Basic Training with Your Goats |
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135 | (4) |
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Collars are not just decorations |
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135 | (1) |
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136 | (1) |
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137 | (1) |
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138 | (1) |
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Moving Up to Advanced Goat Training |
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139 | (6) |
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Teaching tricks with a clicker |
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139 | (1) |
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140 | (1) |
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140 | (1) |
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Preparing goats for packing |
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141 | (2) |
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Training goats to pull a cart |
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143 | (2) |
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145 | (2) |
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Meeting their social needs |
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145 | (1) |
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Evaluating the time you have to be home |
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146 | (1) |
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Finding and training a reliable helper |
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146 | (1) |
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Maintaining Physical Fitness |
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147 | (2) |
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148 | (1) |
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Furnishing your yard or pasture with toys |
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148 | (1) |
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Entertaining with Your Goats |
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149 | (2) |
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Chapter 9 Handling Routine Care And Important One-Time Tasks |
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151 | (22) |
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151 | (3) |
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152 | (1) |
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152 | (1) |
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152 | (2) |
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154 | (1) |
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154 | (5) |
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155 | (1) |
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155 | (4) |
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159 | (6) |
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159 | (1) |
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The case for no horns on goats |
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159 | (1) |
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160 | (1) |
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160 | (4) |
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Preventing and dealing with scurs |
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164 | (1) |
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165 | (4) |
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The problem of poor Elmer, or why to castrate |
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165 | (1) |
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166 | (1) |
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Choosing a castration method |
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167 | (2) |
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Identifying Your Goats: Microchipping and Tattooing |
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169 | (4) |
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169 | (1) |
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170 | (1) |
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171 | (2) |
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PART 3 MANAGING GOAT HEALTH AND BREEDING |
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173 | (90) |
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Chapter 10 Outlining Basic Health-Care Requirements |
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175 | (20) |
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Recognizing Signs of Illness |
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176 | (1) |
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Working with a Veterinarian |
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177 | (3) |
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177 | (1) |
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178 | (1) |
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Preparing for a vet visit |
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178 | (2) |
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Working with a non-goat veterinarian |
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180 | (1) |
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180 | (2) |
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The Straight Poop: Fecal Analysis |
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182 | (2) |
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184 | (2) |
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186 | (2) |
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Deciding whether to vaccinate |
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186 | (1) |
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Looking into common vaccinations |
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186 | (1) |
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187 | (1) |
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188 | (2) |
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Documenting important information |
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188 | (1) |
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Keeping track of recurrent problems |
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189 | (1) |
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Providing information for the vet |
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189 | (1) |
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190 | (1) |
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Testing to Avoid Problems |
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190 | (3) |
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190 | (1) |
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How to draw blood for a test |
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191 | (2) |
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Knowing the Law Regarding Drugs in Food Animals |
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193 | (2) |
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Chapter 11 Addressing Common Health Problems And Ailments |
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195 | (24) |
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Managing the Creepy-Crawlies |
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195 | (7) |
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Controlling external parasites |
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196 | (2) |
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Minimizing internal parasites |
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198 | (4) |
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Helping keep parasite problems at bay |
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202 | (1) |
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Acquainting Yourself with Goat Viruses and Infections |
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202 | (9) |
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Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) |
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202 | (2) |
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204 | (1) |
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205 | (1) |
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205 | (1) |
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206 | (1) |
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206 | (1) |
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207 | (1) |
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207 | (1) |
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208 | (1) |
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209 | (1) |
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210 | (1) |
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210 | (1) |
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210 | (1) |
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Examining Feed-Related Problems |
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211 | (8) |
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211 | (1) |
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212 | (1) |
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213 | (1) |
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214 | (4) |
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218 | (1) |
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Chapter 12 Breeding And Looking After Pregnant Goats |
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219 | (16) |
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219 | (1) |
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Running through Goat Mating Habits: Courting Is Crucial! |
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220 | (4) |
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Identifying the season for goat love |
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220 | (1) |
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Manners, or what to expect from your goat |
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221 | (2) |
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223 | (1) |
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Housing a buck after breeding |
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223 | (1) |
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Finding Breeding Solutions When You Have Only Does |
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224 | (2) |
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224 | (1) |
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225 | (1) |
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One-night stands, or driveway breeding |
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225 | (1) |
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225 | (1) |
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Looking into the Finer Points of Goat Pregnancy |
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226 | (4) |
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226 | (1) |
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226 | (1) |
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Dealing with common pregnancy problems |
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227 | (3) |
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Getting Ready for Kidding |
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230 | (5) |
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230 | (1) |
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230 | (1) |
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Being prepared with a kidding kit |
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231 | (1) |
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Knowing when she'll kid (and what to do!) |
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232 | (3) |
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Chapter 13 Now Comes The Fun Part: Kids! |
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235 | (20) |
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Grasping the Basics of Kidding |
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235 | (5) |
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Knowing what to expect from labor and birth |
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236 | (3) |
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239 | (1) |
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Taking Care of Mother and Kids after Kidding |
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240 | (9) |
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Caring for the new mother |
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240 | (1) |
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241 | (1) |
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The importance of colostrum |
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242 | (1) |
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Dealing with kid problems |
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242 | (4) |
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246 | (2) |
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248 | (1) |
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249 | (6) |
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Deciding between hand-feeding or natural feeding |
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249 | (1) |
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250 | (1) |
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Feeding individually or as a group |
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250 | (1) |
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251 | (1) |
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252 | (1) |
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252 | (3) |
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Chapter 14 Caring For Aged Goats |
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255 | (8) |
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Identifying Health Problems |
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255 | (3) |
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256 | (1) |
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256 | (1) |
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257 | (1) |
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257 | (1) |
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257 | (1) |
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258 | (1) |
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Making Allowances for Disability |
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258 | (4) |
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258 | (1) |
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259 | (2) |
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261 | (1) |
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Determining When to Let Go |
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262 | (1) |
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PART 4 MAKING YOUR GOATS WORK FOR YOU |
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263 | (62) |
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Chapter 15 Discovering Goat Milk: How To Get, Use, And Sell It |
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265 | (14) |
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Developing a Milking Routine |
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266 | (4) |
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266 | (1) |
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267 | (1) |
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268 | (1) |
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269 | (1) |
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269 | (1) |
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Ending milking (Drying off) |
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270 | (1) |
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Getting a Grip on Hand-Milking |
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270 | (4) |
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271 | (1) |
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Running through the hand-milking process |
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272 | (1) |
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Using a hand-milking machine |
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273 | (1) |
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Using a Motorized Milking Machine |
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274 | (2) |
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Handling Milk to Keep It Clean and Fresh |
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276 | (2) |
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276 | (1) |
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277 | (1) |
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277 | (1) |
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Staying Legal while Selling Milk |
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278 | (1) |
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Chapter 16 Goat Meat: From Breeding To Selling And Beyond |
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279 | (16) |
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Getting the Basics of Raising Goats for Meat |
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280 | (1) |
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Cross-breeding standard dairy goats to produce meat goats |
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280 | (1) |
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Using your dairy goats for meat |
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281 | (1) |
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281 | (8) |
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Identifying potential buyers |
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281 | (3) |
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284 | (2) |
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286 | (1) |
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287 | (1) |
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Determining what to charge |
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287 | (1) |
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Using marketing terminology properly |
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288 | (1) |
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289 | (2) |
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289 | (1) |
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Using a licensed slaughter plant |
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289 | (1) |
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290 | (1) |
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Humanely slaughtering goats |
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290 | (1) |
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291 | (4) |
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291 | (2) |
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293 | (1) |
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Using the organs for herd health check |
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293 | (2) |
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Chapter 17 Showing Your Goats |
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295 | (14) |
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296 | (1) |
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Preparing to Show Your Goat |
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296 | (6) |
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Getting your goat show-ready |
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297 | (3) |
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300 | (1) |
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Earning more than just ribbons |
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301 | (1) |
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301 | (1) |
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Showing Your Goat in Person |
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302 | (3) |
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302 | (1) |
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Keeping your goat between yourself and the judge |
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302 | (1) |
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Focusing on the judge at all times |
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303 | (1) |
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Making sure not to talk with your neighbor |
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303 | (1) |
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Remaining calm even if your goat is misbehaving |
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303 | (1) |
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Doing what the judge asks |
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304 | (1) |
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Keeping your goat properly set up |
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304 | (1) |
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Being a good loser (or winner) |
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305 | (1) |
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Showing Your Goat Virtually |
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305 | (4) |
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306 | (1) |
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306 | (1) |
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306 | (3) |
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Chapter 18 More Benefits Of Goats: Fiber, Breeding, Weed Control, And More |
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309 | (16) |
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Harvesting and Selling Fiber |
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310 | (8) |
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310 | (1) |
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311 | (3) |
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314 | (2) |
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316 | (1) |
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317 | (1) |
|
|
|
318 | (2) |
|
|
|
320 | (1) |
|
|
|
321 | (1) |
|
Boarding Other People's Goats |
|
|
322 | (1) |
|
|
|
322 | (1) |
|
Hiring Out for Weed Control |
|
|
323 | (1) |
|
|
|
324 | (1) |
|
|
|
325 | (14) |
|
Chapter 19 Ten Common Mistakes First-Time Goat Owners Make |
|
|
327 | (6) |
|
Getting Too Many Goats Too Fast |
|
|
327 | (1) |
|
Failing to Educate Yourself before Getting Goats |
|
|
328 | (1) |
|
Underestimating the Costs |
|
|
328 | (1) |
|
Paying Too Much or Too Little for Your Goats |
|
|
329 | (1) |
|
|
|
330 | (1) |
|
|
|
330 | (1) |
|
Neglecting Routine Management and Care |
|
|
331 | (1) |
|
Overlooking Your Goats' Dietary Needs |
|
|
331 | (1) |
|
Giving the Goats Too Little Attention |
|
|
332 | (1) |
|
Getting a Buck before You're Ready |
|
|
332 | (1) |
|
Chapter 20 Ten Misconceptions About Goats |
|
|
333 | (6) |
|
|
|
333 | (1) |
|
|
|
334 | (1) |
|
|
|
334 | (1) |
|
Goats Make Good Lawn Mowers |
|
|
335 | (1) |
|
|
|
335 | (1) |
|
|
|
335 | (1) |
|
Goats Get Most of Their Water from Plants |
|
|
336 | (1) |
|
Goats Are Only for People Who Can't Afford Cows |
|
|
336 | (1) |
|
Only Male Goats Have Beards |
|
|
337 | (1) |
|
A Dog Makes a Good Friend for a Goat |
|
|
337 | (2) |
| Appendix: Goat-Milk Recipes |
|
339 | (18) |
| Index |
|
357 | |
